As to printers connected to a communications network, printers performing various kinds of managements regarding print jobs have been conventionally proposed.
For example, a system where a printer is shared by a plurality of users via a communications network enables printing in response to a request for performing a print job from anyone who can connect to this network regardless of whether he/she is an authorized user.
In view of this, in such a system having a printer connected to a communications network, the printer preferably manages whether a person who requests it to perform a print job is an authorized user so that the printer can determine whether to authorize printing of print data.
For example, patent document 1 (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 215373/2002; Tokukai 2002-215373 (published on Aug. 2, 2002)) discloses an image forming system including the following image forming device: Upon receipt of print data, it obtains print restriction information of a host having transmitted the print data from a restriction address data storage server, using a transmitting-end physical address added to the print data, and determines whether to authorize printing on the basis of the obtained print restriction information.
Patent document 2 (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 113796/2001; Tokukai 2001-113796 (published on Apr. 24, 2001) discloses the following schedule management server: The server stores, as schedule data, a start time and document information fed from an operating section. Then, the server compares a present time clocked by a clocking section with the start time of the schedule data. When a predetermined time comes, the server transmits the document information via an external I/F (interface) to a printer server provided on a communications network so as to make a printer to perform printing. This arrangement allows for timely printing of documents that are necessary for an event corresponding to schedule data, thus enhancing convenience.
Patent document 3 (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 162397/2003; Tokukai 2003-162397 (published on Jun. 6, 2003)) discloses a printer system having: (a) a print client unit including a print conditions setting dialog display function, a printing conditions setting function, print data creating function, and print data transfer function; and (b) a printer unit including a data reception, analysis, and storage function, a request job value calculating function, a print history management function, a fee-charging template data management function, and a usage fee management function.
In this printer system, the print client unit sets printing conditions, obtains a remaining budget amount from the printer unit to know whether a value of a request job exceeds the remaining budget amount. If the value of the request job exceeds the remaining budget amount, the print client unit changes the printing conditions and requests the printer unit to perform printing again. If judging that printing will be possible within the remaining budget amount under the changed print conditions, the printer unit performs printing. Thus, this system prevents waste of consumable products and power under an exacting fee-charging management.
However, in the system disclosed in the patent document 1, under the circumstances where print count as print restriction information is set for each host, when actual print count reaches the set print count, even a necessary print job is not allowed to perform. This makes impossible to perform a necessary print job, resulting in interference with work.
Thus, the system disclosed in the patent document 1 has the problem that a necessary printing of print data is impossible since a print job restriction determined on a preset criteria cannot be changed appropriately when the necessity for the change arises.
Further, if a user who requests a print job cannot perform printing of print data due to the set print job restriction, the user must explain a manager the necessity for printing of the print data to request and obtain a authorization to change setting of the restriction from the manager. This causes the problem that printing efficiency decreases.
The schedule management server disclosed in the patent document 2 performs a print job corresponding to a schedule, and independently performs printing for an unscheduled print job. That is, a print job restriction is not set, which causes the problem that reduction in print job costs cannot be realized.
The printer system disclosed in the patent document 3 sets a budget for print jobs in advance and enables cost adjustment by limiting the print job costs within the budget. However, a print job that does not stay within the budget is handled with change of print job settings, demand for increase of budget limit to the manager, or other coping way.
Changing the settings to stay a print job within the budget changes a setting necessary for print jobs, which does not allow a necessary print job to be performed sufficiently. Demanding increase of budget limit to the manager to perform a print job is not proper because an urgent print job cannot be performed depending upon a status of the manager, for example, when the manager is absent.
In this printer system, a budget limit is increased only by demanding the increase to the manager, so that the manager cannot properly judge whether the print job for which increase of a budget limit is demanded is a necessary print job. Therefore, increase of a budget limit for an unnecessary print job can be demanded to the manager. This causes the problem that reduction in print job costs cannot be realized.